Dorfer



INVENTOR J. HOFFMAN.

` GOMBINATION'INSTYRUMBNT.

Patent-ed lPeb 'inkamcumam WlTNEss'Es (No Model.)

UNITED 'STATES *l PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH RECKEN- DORFER, OF SAME PLAGE.

COMBINATION-INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 273,232, dated February 27, 1883.

Application filed December 28, 1852. (No model.)

Io all whom it may concern: Be it known that I,JosE1 H HOFFMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 5 in Combination-Instruments, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention is directed to a combinationinstrument in which each end of the sheath or handle contains a device-such as a pencil, lead, 1o a knife, etc-which can at will be projected from and withdrawn within its end of the sheath. The instrument embodies ina general way the characteristic of the well-known automatic lead and crayon holder now in the market, which is a longitudinally-movable springcontrolled pressure-cap, by means of which the grasping devices are caused to release their hold on the lead; and it is my object to so arrange and combine the parts that zoeither end ot' the sheath can be used as the pressurecap for the other.

My invention, to this end, may be stated, in a general way, to consist of an instrument composed ofa divided sheath or handle, having its 2 5 parts longitudinally-movable with respect to one another, and distinct grasping mechanisms-one foreach handle-.connected together, and each adapted to engage the lead or other device to be contained in its part of the handle, in combination with retracting-spring mechanism, which normally holds the parts of the sheath in a position in which the grasping mechanisms will engage the devices to be held by them. l

The preferred embodiment of Amy invention is an instrument combining an automatic lead and crayon holder and a knife or equivalent device-such, for instance, as a tooth-pick, button-hook, or other thing that can be made 4.o Hat like the blade of a knife. These two devices are combined in one instrument by placing them so that the lead shall project from one end of the case and the knife-blade from the other, and by so arranging them that the one sha-ll in effect constitute the pressure-cap of the other, so that when the instrument is pressed from one end the result will be to release the lead, and when pressed from the other end to release the knife-blade. The case or 5o sheath of the instrument is madein two parts,

which telescope into one another and are capathe automatic holder.

ble of moving lengthwise relatively to one another. The one part contains the lead-holding devices and the other partcontains the knifeholding mechanism.

The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same lis or may be carried into effect can, however, best be explained and nnderstood by reference to Vthe accompanying drawings, in which I have represented au instrument containing the two devices last above referred to.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central ,section ot' the instrument 'with the knife-blade protruding from its end ot' the sheath. Fig. 2 is a like section in a plane at right angles to the plane ofsection in Fig. 1, representing the lead projecting from its end of the sheath, and the knife-blade is drawn back. 7o

The divided case or handle is lettered A B.

A contains the knife and B contains the lead. The two y are capable of longitudinal movement with reference to one another, and A telescopes into B. The outer end of B is tapered and contracted to form the usual tip ornozzle, c, and within B is placed the lead-containing tube O, longitudinally movable with reference to the` case B, and terminating at its frontend in lead-grasping jaws b, which, when the leadtube is drawn back, are caused to close upon the lead m by the tip or nozzle a. This arrangement is the same as that employed in The tube at its rear passes through a cap or thimble, c, fast to the case B, and is drawn back by a retractingspring, fm, confined between the head orthimble c and the head of a short cylinder, d, into which the end of the lead-tube is soldered. Cylinder d [its and is adapted to slide in case A. rlhe lead-tube is kept from being drawn back too far by means of a stud or projection, e", on it, which brings up against the front of the thimble c.

In the part A is a flattened blade-containing tube, l), in which is placed the blade E, which is so arranged that it can freely slide therein, so that it will drop by gravity in 011e direction or the other,according as one or the other end of the instrument is uppermost. Its movements are confined within certain limits by means of a stud, e, which is-att-ached `to ICO e eases@ and projects through the tube D and extends into and through a slot, f, formed in and lengthwise ofthe shank of blade E. Thus the range of movement of the blade is equal to the length of the slotf. In order to lock the blade in posit-ion at either extreme of its movement, I make the slot to terminate at each end in a cylindrical hole, f', of a diameter greater than the width of the slot, and I form the part of the stud e which is to engage these holes of a like shape and size, theother part ecf the stud being flat and of a size to pass through the slotfreadily. The stud is mounted on the end of a spring-arm, g, secured to the exterior of tube D, and this springpresses the stud into the tube, soas to canse thecylindrical part of the stud to snap into holesf when they are brought opposite to it.

In order to press back the stud so as to bring its thin, llat parte into the path ofthe slotf and holes j", and thus release the blade, I make the stud of a length to extend entirely through from one side to the otherof the tube D, and I bevel that end of it which projects beyond the tube, as indicated at c2. Upon that side of the tube from which the beveled end c2 projects I mount in guides h a longitudinally-movable slide, i, whose outer end eX- tends up to the beveled end e2, and is correspondingly beveled, as indicated at t", so that when the slide is pushed outwardly it will press back the end c2, and thus release the knife-blade. rIhe rear .end of the slide-bar passes centrally through the head of athimble or cap,j, attached to A, and extends back into and is soldered to the cylinder d, which thus connects solidly the lead-tube and the slide-bar.

Between thimblej andtheadjoininghead of cylinder d is interposed a retracting-spring,

Ak, by which the slide-bar is held normally ont of engagement with the springcontrolled locking-stud e. As a part of the instrument, there may be provided a cap, l, which ts upon either end ofthe instrument. and which is put 011 the pencil end when the knife end is to be used, and vice versa.

In order to project the knife, the case part A is held lowermo'st, and while it is held pressure is applied from the end B, with the effect of pushing forward the slide and consequently unlocking the blade, which, as soon as released, falls until it is arrested by the locking-stud bringing up against the rear end of the slot. As soon as pressure is released the slide-bar, by the retracting-spring action, is drawn back andthe cylindrical part of the locking-stud enters the hole j" at the rear end of the slot, and thus locks the bladein its advanced position.

1n order to retire the blade, the point A. is held uppermost,'and pressure is applied, as before, from the end B, with the result of unlocking the blade, which will then drop back. To work the lead X,'substantially the-saine operation is gone through with, the pressure in this As before intimated, I can vary the special devices contained in theinstrument-as, forinstance, I can dispense with the knife and knifelocking mechanism and employ an automatic pencil movement at each end, so that the instrument will in effect be a double-ended antonlatic holder adapted to receive lead ot' different kinds.

Having now described my invent-ion and the preferred way of carrying the same into effect, I state in conclusion that I do not restrict myself to the special mechanical details herein shown in illustration ofthe invention; but

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

I. A divided sheath or handle having its parts longitudinally movable with respect to one another, and distinct grasping' mechanismsone for each part ofthe handleconnected together, and each adapted to engage the lead or other device to be contained in its part of the handle, in combination with retractingspring mechanism which normally holds the parts of the sheath in a position in which the grasping mechanisms will engage the devices to be held by them, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. rIhe case orhandle, consisting oftwo paris longitudinally movable with respect to one another, the knife-blade orits specited equivalent, and blade-locking mechanism contained in one part ofthe handleand the lead-grasping mechanism contained in the other part ofthe handle, in combination with intermediate releasing mechanism,operated by pressure upon the ends ofthe instrument to move the locking mechanisms to a position in which they release the devices held by them, and retractingspring mechanism which normally maintains the parts in a position in which the grasping and locking mechanismswill engage the devices to be held, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3.' The lead-tube and grasping-pins and the releasing slide-bar, connected solas to move back and forth bodily and together, combined with the two-part case or handle, the knifeblade, knife-holding tube, and knife-locking mechanism, and the retracting-spring, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of December, 1882. f

J OSEPH HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

LEOPOLD ANsBAcHER, E. B. HOWELL.

IOO

IIS 

